In a case of supplying an ozone gas to a multiple ozone treatment apparatus including a plurality of ozone treatment apparatuses, it is generally conceivable to build an ozone gas supply system in which a plurality of ozone generation mechanisms (means) each including an ozone power source, a flow rate controller (MFC), and the like, are provided corresponding to the plurality of ozone treatment apparatuses, respectively, so that the ozone generation mechanisms independently supply an ozone gas to the corresponding ozone treatment apparatuses. A raw gas such as a high-purity oxygen gas having a purity of 99.99% and a dew point of −70° C. or lower is supplied to an ozone generator of each ozone generation mechanism.
More specifically, in the ozone gas supply system, an ozone power source, a raw gas pipe system line, an output gas pipe system line, and the like, are provided, and the number of each of them is equal to the number of system lines included in the multiple ozone treatment apparatus. The raw gas pipe system line supplies a raw gas such as a high-purity oxygen gas having a purity of 99.99% and a dew point of −70° C. or lower to the ozone generator via flow rate adjusting means such as an MFC for controlling a flow rate of the ozone gas or the raw gas. The output gas pipe system line includes pressure adjusting means such as an automatic pressure controller (APC) for controlling gas atmosphere pressure in the ozone generator, an ozone concentration detector for detecting a concentration of the ozone gas outputted from the ozone generator, and an ozone flow meter.
In a case of supplying an ozone gas to a multiple ozone treatment apparatus including a plurality of ozone treatment apparatuses, it is generally conceivable to build an ozone gas supply system in which a plurality of ozone generation mechanisms each including an ozone power source, a flow rate controller (MFC), and the like, are provided corresponding to the plurality of ozone treatment apparatuses, respectively, so that the ozone generation mechanisms independently supply an ozone gas to the corresponding ozone treatment apparatuses.
More specifically, in the ozone gas supply system, an ozone generator, an ozone power source, a raw gas pipe system line, an output gas pipe system line, and the like, are provided, and the number of each of them is equal to the number of system lines included in the multiple ozone treatment apparatus. The raw gas pipe system line supplies a raw gas to the ozone generator via an MFC or the like for controlling a flow rate of the raw gas. The output gas pipe system line includes an ozone concentration detector for detecting a concentration of the ozone gas outputted from the ozone generator, and an ozone flow meter.
A very large space is required for building an ozone generation system compatible with such a multiple ozone treatment apparatus, and moreover, a still larger system configuration is required for building a system that supplies an ozone gas while coordinately controlling the multiple ozone treatment apparatus. Thus, there are problems of costs, an installation space, and the like, to cause many disadvantages in a practical use.
Therefore, in a conventional method for ozone supply to a multiple ozone treatment apparatus, an ozone gas supply system is adopted in which the capacity of a single-type ozone generator is increased and a pipe system line for outputting an ozone gas is divided into a plurality of pipes, so that an ozone gas having a predetermined flow rate and a predetermined concentration is stepwise outputted to a multiple ozone treatment apparatus, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example.
FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a conventional ozone gas supply system 70, which can be simulated based on the disclosure of the Patent Document 1.
FIG. 24 shows an ozone generator 71, an ozone power source 72, a raw gas pipe system line, and an output gas pipe system line. The raw gas pipe system line supplies a raw gas to the ozone generator 71 via a flow rate controller (MFC) 73 for controlling a flow rate of the raw gas and a pressure meter 62 for monitoring pressure in the generator. A part of the output gas pipe system line subsequent to an output pipe having a valve switch 61, an ozone concentration meter 75, and an ozone flow meter 67, is divided into a plurality of pipes. The valve switch 61 adjusts opening/closing of a valve depending on a pressure fluctuation in the ozone generator 71. Additionally, in the ozone gas supply system 70, individual ozone-gas flow rate controllers (MFC) 68-1 to 68-n are provided to the divided parts of the output gas pipe system line, respectively, so that the ozone gas can be independently supplied to a plurality of ozone treatment apparatuses 12-1 to 12-n that are provided corresponding to the individual MFCs 68-1 to 68-n, respectively. An amount of ozone gas exceeding the amount to be supplied by the individual MFCs 68-1 to 68-n is discharged by a flow rate discharge unit 69.